Iztacalco
Iztacalco is a borough in Mexico City.
It is located in the central-eastern area and it is the smallest of the city's boroughs. The area's history began in 1309 when the island of Iztacalco, in what was Lake Texcoco, was settled in 1309 by the Mexica who would later found Tenochtitlan, according to the Codex Xolotl. The island community would remain small and isolated through the colonial period, but drainage projects in the Valley of Mexico dried up the lake around it. The area was transformed into a maze of small communities, artificial islands called chinampas and solid farmland divided by canals up until the first half of the 20th century. Politically, the area has been reorganized several times, being first incorporated in 1862 and the modern borough coming into existence in 1929. Today, all of the canals and farmland are dried out and urbanized as the most densely populated borough and the second most industrialized.
Getting around Iztacalco the local way
- Get inYou can have a look for shared rides on Blablacar.
- Get aroundThere are plenty of franchised private buses, minibuses and vans, known as peseros and combis, which are less reliable and safe but reach more destinations.
- Get aroundIn the metropolitan area, there is a commuter train line and the Mexibús bus rapid transit system, but most destinations are only served by private minibuses and vans.
- Get aroundThe Sistema de Transporte Colectivo, known as the Metro, is one of the largest and most patronized subway systems in the world, with 12 lines that measure more than and carry 4.4 million people every day.
- Get aroundIt's not recommended to leave the cable car stations and stroll around due to safety.
From Wikivoyage: Mexico City, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.